Islanders News

GAME PREVIEW: Islanders at Detroit

Rick DiPietro is expected to get the nod when the Islanders play the Detroit Red Wings this afternoon at 5:00 at Joe Louis Arena. For DiPietro, it will be his first start in over a week.

Both teams will have had plenty of rest. The Islanders haven't played since Tuesday, while the Red Wings' last game was at home to Calgary on Thursday.

With Oleg Kvasha, Shawn Bates and Petteri Nokelainen still out with injuries, the Islanders have recalled defenseman Bruno Gervais and forwards Kevin Colley and Wyatt Smith from Bridgeport of the American Hockey League. In addition, Robert Nilsson was sent to Bridgeport on Saturday.

Here are your game notes:

PREVIOUS GAME November 29, 2005 Philadelphia Flyers 4, New York Islanders 3

The Islanders jumped out to a 3-1 second period lead, but the Philadelphia Flyers rallied back to tie the game in the final minutes of the second. They then got the go ahead goal from Simon Gagne in the third to win the contest 4-3 at the Nassau Coliseum. Gagne finished the game with two goals. Jason Blake, Mark Parrish and Miroslav Satan scored for the Islanders as Garth Snow made 31 stops on 35 shots in the losing effort. The Flyers now lead the season-series 3-1-0.

INJURY REPORT - Center Oleg Kvasha (ankle) was injured on November 26 and is listed day-to-day. - Center Petteri Nokelainen (patella tendonitis) has missed the last 13 games. He is on the Injured Reserve retroactive of November 3, 2005. - Forward Shawn Bates (hamstring strain) was injured November 19, 2005 and is out 4-5 weeks. He is currently on the Injured Reserve.

2005-06 TRANSACTIONS November 30 Returned forwards Sean Bergenheim and Wyatt Smith to Bridgeport (AHL). Sent defenseman Tomi Pettinen to Bridgeport on a conditioning assignment. November 29 Recalled forwards Sean Bergenheim and Wyatt Smith from Bridgeport. November 26 - Returned center Jeremy Colliton to Bridgeport. November 25 Recalled center Jeremy Colliton from Bridgeport. November 23 Returned center Jeremy Colliton to Bridgeport. November 21 Placed forward Shawn Bates on the Injured Reserve List and called up center Jeremy Colliton from Bridgeport. November 18 Placed center Petteri Nokelainen on the Injured Reserve list retroactive of November 3. Assigned forward Luchiano Aquino from Bridgeport to Trenton (ECHL). November 15 Signed forward Jeff Hamilton and assigned him to Bridgeport. November 2 - Reassigned goaltender Wade Dubielewicz to Bridgeport. October 31 - Recalled goaltender Wade Dubielewicz from Bridgeport. October 28 Reassigned center Kevin Colley to Bridgeport. October 27 Recalled center Kevin Colley from Bridgeport. October 15 - Reassigned goaltender Wade Dubielewicz to Bridgeport. October 14 Recalled goaltender Wade Dubielewicz from Bridgeport.

ISLANDERS AT DETROIT The Islanders start a three-game, six-day road trip with a match up versus Detroit Red Wings tonight. This is the only meeting in the regular season between these clubs this year. The Red Wings lead the all-time series 44-40-6-1 and won the only meeting between the clubs in 2003-04, a 6-0 Detroit victory. The Islanders haven't beaten the Red Wings since February 27, 1999, a game that the Islanders won 3-1. Tommy Solo made 35 saves on 36 shots for the win in net and Robert Reichel and Ziggy Palffy had three points each.

HIT OR BE HIT Aaron Asham and Trent Hunter have a hit or be hit type of mentality. Entering this weekend, Hunter is fifth in the league in hits with 68, while Asham is sixth with 64. As a team, the Islanders have unloaded 434 hits on their opponents this season. Brad Lukowich is third on the team and leads Islanders defensemen with 44.

BLAKE IS BUZZING Jason Blake is off to the best start of his career. Through the first 25 games of this season, Blake has recorded 12 goals and nine assists for 21 points, good enough for second on the team. Entering this season, his best mark through 25 games came in 2002-03 when he had 11 points and finished the year with career-highs with 25 goals, 30 assists and 55 points

Currently, Blake has points in four of the last five games (5+2). That includes a game against Philadelphia on November 26 when he netted his third career hat trick.

PARRISH STOPS SLIDE After starting off the 2005-06 season with points in four of the first seven games (3+2), Mark Parrish slowed down after suffering a hip strain. But Parrish his turned his luck around as he's making up for his mini-slump with points in five of the last six games (2+6).

CAPTAIN YASH LEADING BY EXAMPLE Team captain Alexei Yashin leads the team in scoring with 27 points (11+16) in 25 games. This season, Yashin has recorded a point in 20 of 25 games, twelve of the past fifteen (5+10) and in the last nine of the last ten games (3-10). He's also had five multiple-point games, including last week in Tampa Bay. This is Yashin's second best start since the 2001-02 season, his first as an Islander. That season he finished with 32 goals, 43 assists and 75 points.

This season, he had a season-high seven-game point streak from October 10-25, collecting 11 points (5+6). In addition to his seven-game point streak, Yashin recorded an assist in five consecutive games (October 15-25). The point streak was Yashin's longest since the 2003-04, when he had a nine-game point streak with 13 points (3+10) from November 14-December 3.

ISLANDERS WRAP UP NOVEMBER 7-6-1 The Islanders have a record of 7-6-1 in the month of November. The Islanders will play a total of 14 games this month, six at home and eight on the road. Last season, the Islanders were 5-8-0-0 in November.

Win

Loss

OTL

Oct.

5

6

0

Nov.

7

6

1

* The Islanders have an overtime victory, two shootout victories and a shootout loss. See below for details.

GOING BACK-TO-BACK The Islanders completed their third set of back-to-back games this past weekend, splitting the contests. The club fell to the Ottawa Senators at home on Friday 6-2, but rallied to defeat the Philadelphia Flyers on the road 4-2. The Islanders are scheduled to play 10 sets of back-to-back games during the 2005-06 regular season, four fewer than they had in 2003-04.

The Islanders have a record of 2-1-0 in the first game of back-to-back games and a 2-1-0 record in the second game. The Islanders played 14 back-to-back sets in 2003-04, posting a 13-13-1-1 record in those 28 contests; 8-6-0-0 in the first games of back-to-back sets and 5-7-1-1 in the second games.

SCORING THE FIRST GOAL The Islanders are 10-5-1 this season when scoring first and 2-6 when the opposition scores the first goal of the game. In 2003-04, the Islanders had a record 11-23-6-3 when their opponents scored first. They were 27-6-5-1 when they scored the first goal of the game. THE ISLANDERS' PENALTY KILL - The Islanders killed off five of six Philadelphia power plays last Tuesday night. - They have allowed five power play goals in the last ten games (54 chances). - Overall, the Islanders have killed off 142 of 171 (83.0%) power play attempts in 25 games this season. - The Islanders penalty kill is ranked fourth best in the NHL on the road with a 87.2 penalty kill percentage, while they are ranked 26th at home with a penalty kill percentage of 77.4. - This season, the Islanders had a streak of 37 consecutive penalty kills, which spanned six complete games and parts of two others. The streak started during the team's game at New Jersey on November 8th and last until the second penalty kill of the team's game vs. Buffalo on November 23rd. Chris Drury scored on the power play for the Sabres at 17:29 of the first period to snap the Islanders consecutive penalty kill streak. - The Islanders have recorded three shorthanded goals this season. Arron Asham scored a shorthanded goal in the Islanders' 5-4 win over the Rangers on October 20. Earlier in the season, Shawn Bates scored the first shorthanded goal of the season in the Isles' 3-1 win over the Hurricanes on October 8 and Jason Blake scored a shorthanded tally in the Islanders' 5-3 win over Washington on October 13.

THE ISLANDERS ON THE MAN ADVANTAGE - The Islanders were two for four on the power play against Philadelphia last Tuesday night - They have fourteen power play goals in the last eleven games. - Overall, the Islanders have scored a power play goal in 17 of 24 games this season. - They are 25-149 (16.7%) on the man-advantage. Last season, the Islanders recorded at least one power play goal in 38 of 82 games. They had a record of 27-9-3, including a mark of 16-4-1 at home in games that they scored at least one power play goal.

ISLANDERS ON THE ROAD The Islanders are back on the road this week when they start a three-game road trip, which will take them to Detroit (12/4), St. Louis (12/6) and Columbus (12/8). The Islanders defeated the Philadelphia Flyers last Saturday afternoon (Nov. 26) for their eighth road victory of the season. In 2005-06, the Islanders are 8-7-0 on the road.

Three weeks ago, the team finished up their second longest road trip of the season, a span of four games, with a 5-3 victory over the Florida Panthers (11/19). They also defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2 in a shootout (11/14) and the Atlanta Thrashers 7-3 (11/16), while losing to the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-2, the second of a back-to-back. The team has a five game road trip in March, which will also take them to Atlanta and both Florida stops as well as Boston and New Jersey. The Islanders are 7-6 on the road so far this season.

NOT BAD WHEN LEADING AFTER TWO The Islanders have only lost once in 61 games (53 wins, eight ties and one overtime loss in the shootout) when taking a lead into the third period. The Islanders are 9-0-1 this season when leading after two periods. This streak includes wining in overtime (vs. Bruins, Nov. 1) and winning in the shootout twice (at Rangers, Oct. 19 and at Pittsburgh Nov. 14) this season. The only loss occurred in the shootout this past Wednesday night when the Islanders dropped a 4-3 decision to the Buffalo Sabres. During the 2003-04 season, the Islanders were 26-0-5-0 when leading after two periods.

BATES & NOKELAINEN ON IR With Shawn Bates expected to miss the next four-to-five weeks (as of Nov. 19) with a strained hamstring, the Islanders have placed him on the Injured Reserve list. Bates has missed the Islanders last four games. Rookie center Petteri Nokelainen has been placed on the Injured Reserve retroactive of November 3rd with patella tendonitis. He has missed the last twelve games.

Before sustaining the injury in the final minutes in last Saturday night's win at Florida, Bates was on a hot streak with eight goals (8+1) in the past seven games. He's currently fourth on the team-lead in goals scored with ten and already surpassed his total from 2003-04. The Islanders are 7-0 in games that Bates has scored a goal, 8-0 if his shootout goal is counted. Bates also leads the league in shooting percentage with a mark of 35.7% and leads the team with four game winners (second in the NHL), which includes an overtime tally versus Boston on November 1 at the Coliseum. He also has a shootout goal, which he recorded against the Pittsburgh Penguins on November 14. Overall, Bates has 12 points this season (10+2).

In twelve games, Nokelainen has a goal and an assist with four penalty minutes. He scored his first career NHL goal on October 13 at Washington, which turned out to be the game-winner.

SHOTS ON GOAL The Islanders have been outshot, 836-695, through the first 25 games of the 2005-06 season. The Islanders have been outshot in 18 of 25 games this season, including six straight from October 15-27. The Islanders are allowing an average of 33.4 shots per game. They have a record of 9-9 when they have been outshot and have a record of 2-4 in games when they've outshot the opponent. The Islanders recorded a season-high 40 shots, including 20 in the first period at Philadelphia on November 10. The Islanders have also allowed 40 or more shots in a game four times this season and have a record of 2-2. The most recent game was the team's loss to the Ottawa Senators on November 25 versus the Ottawa Senators.

IN THE EXTRA SESSION Shawn Bates scored the game-winning goal with 28.2 seconds left in overtime to lift the Islanders to a 4-3 win over the Boston Bruins on November 1 at the Nassau Coliseum. The Islanders are 3-1 in overtime/shootout (two shootout victories, one shootout loss) this season and have a lifetime record of 65-60-194 in overtime. Last season, the Islanders had a record of 2-4-11 in overtime.

DECIDED BY THE SHOOTOUT On November 23, the Islanders lost their first shootout since its inception dropping the decision to the Buffalo Sabres at the Coliseum. Ales Kotalik (determining goal) and Tim Connolly scored against Rick DiPietro, while Alexei Yashin and Jason Blake failed on their attempts for the Islanders. The Islanders are now 2-1 in shootouts.

The Islanders shootout victory over the Penguins on November 14 was the second longest so far in the NHL this season. Eighteen shooters were used by both teams, which at the time set a new standard in the inaugural season for the shootout. Jason Blake netted the determining goal against goaltender Jocelyn Thibault and Islanders' goaltender Rick DiPietro stopped seven of nine Penguin shooters, including rookie Ryan Whitney to seal the win.

It was the team's second shootout win of the season, with the other coming against the New York Rangers in a 3-2 decision at Madison Square Garden on October 19. In that contest, Miroslav Satan scored the only shootout goal against Henrik Lundqvist.

ISLANDERS ON THE COLISEUM ICE The Islanders are 5-5-1 at home this season, scoring 35 goals and allowing 42. The Islanders are currently on a three-game losing at home with the last victory at the Coliseum coming on November 12 vs. Boston. In the three losses, the Islanders have been outscored 14-8.

COLISEUM ATTENDANCE UPDATE The Islanders have a total attendance of 144,809 after eleven games at the Nassau Coliseum, for an average of 13,165 (81.1% capacity) with one sellout. Last season after seven games at Nassau Coliseum, the Islanders had a total attendance of 84,866, an average of 12,266 (79.8% capacity) with one sellout. The seating capacity for the Nassau Coliseum is 16,234.

STREAKS SNAPPED In the Islanders 4-3 loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday night, two impressive streaks were snapped. In the first period, Buffalo scored a power play goal, which was the first tally the Islanders allowed with the opposition on the man advantage in six complete games and 37 total chances. The other streak was victories with the lead after two periods. Before Wednesday night, the Islanders were unbeaten in 61 games (53-0-8) when taking a lead into the third period. The streak was the longest in the NHL. The streak began on December 28, 2002 with a 3-0 win vs. Carolina.

MILESTONES WITHIN REACH- Jason Blake is seven games away from his 300th as an Islander. - Eric Godard's next goal will be his first NHL goal. - Bruno Gervais will play in his first NHL game. - Oleg Kvasha is eight points away from his 200th NHL point. - Brad Lukowich is two games away from his 400th NHL game. - Mark Parrish is one goal away from his 150th NHL goal. - Mark Parrish is one goal away from his 100th as an Islander. - Miroslav Satan is eight power play goals away from his 100th NHL power play goal. - Alexei Yashin is eight points away from his 700th NHL point. - Mike York is two games away from his 400th NHL game.

MILESTONES REACHED THIS SEASON- Chris Campoli, Robert Nilsson and Petteri Nokelainen each played in their first NHL game on October 5th, 2005 at Buffalo. - Chris Campoli scored his first NHL goal/point on his first NHL shot on October 5th, 2005 at Buffalo. - Petteri Nokelainen scored his first NHL goal on October 13th at Washington. - Robert Nilsson scored his first NHL goal vs. Buffalo on October 29. - Alexei Yashin scored his 300th career NHL goal on November 14th at Pittsburgh. - Alexei Zhitnik played in his 900th NHL career game on November 14th at Pittsburgh. - Jeremy Colliton played in his first NHL game on November 23rd vs. Buffalo. - Arron Asham played in his 300th NHL game on November 25th vs. Ottawa. - Rick DiPietro played in his 100th NHL game on November 25th vs. Ottawa. - Alexei Yashin scored his 200th point as an Islander on November 26th at Philadelphia.

YASHIN TALLIES 200TH POINT AS AN ISLANDERIslanders' captain Alexei Yashin recorded his 200th point as an Islander in Saturday's 4-2 win over the Philadelphia Flyers. He hit the milestone with an assist on Jason Blake's first period goal. This is Yashin's fourth season as an Islander.

DiPIETRO PLAYS IN 100TH CAREER GAMEIslanders' goaltender played in his 100th NHL career game in Friday's loss to the Ottawa Senators. He stopped 39 of 45 shots in the losing effort. He was the first goaltender to be selected with the No. 1 overall draft selection in 2000. He made his NHL debut on January 27, 2001 vs. Buffalo and earned his first win on February 16, 2001 at Edmonton. This is his fifth NHL season, all played with the Islanders.

YASHIN TALLIES 300TH CAREER GOALIslanders' captain Alexei Yashin scored his 300th NHL career goal on November 14th at Pittsburgh. Brad Lukowich and Janne Niinimaa were credited with the assists on the second period goal. The tally was Yashin's 82nd as an Islander. He scored 218 as a member of the Ottawa Senators.